1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering energy to a surface. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus involving the formation of a visually continuous outline around an area of a surface within which energy is to be delivered.
2. Description of Related Art
A wide variety of skin abnormalities exist for which treatment is commonly sought to remove the abnormality. Examples of such skin conditions include dermatologic acne, scars (most commonly due to acne), xanthomas, and unwanted skin discoloration. Examples of skin discolorations include freckles, age or liver spots, birthmarks, malignant melanomas, nevi (melanocytic, epidermal, vascular, and connective tissue), lentigines (brown spots on the skin or mucous membrane) and tatoos. In addition, discoloring abnormalities may be due to vascular lesions which are caused by an abundance of enlarged blood vessels. Common examples of discolorful vascular lesions are "port wine" stain birth marks, telangiectasis, a colored spot formed most commonly on the skin by a dilated capillary or other small blood vessel, and hemangioma, a highly visible benign tumor composed of well-formed blood vessels and classified as capillary or cavernous.
A variety of methodologies have been developed for treating skin abnormalities including, for example surgical excision, skin grafting, dermabrasion, saliabrasion, cryosurgery and laser surgery. One particular class of these methodologies involves the treatment of skin with an energy source, most commonly a laser or an RF electrode which causes thermal damage or necrosis to the skin.
A major problem associated with the treatment methods involving the delivery of energy to the skin to cause thermal damage or necrosis is controlling where energy is being delivered to the skin as well as the amount of energy that is delivered to particular areas of the skin. A need therefore exists for a method and device for delivering energy to the skin which provides the user of the method and/or device with the ability to control where energy is delivered to the skin and how much. At the same time, the method and device should be easy for the user to use so that the skin can be treated safely, accurately, rapidly and economically. These and other objectives are provided by the device and method of the present invention which is described herein.